{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.caput-mortuum","code":"thing-q421089","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q421089/","name":"caput mortuum","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.MAT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"Caput mortuum is a traditional name for a muted violet-brown iron-oxide pigment, principally associated with hematite, and historically also designated the residue left after certain alchemical operations.","purpose":"Enable an agent to identify material called caput mortuum, distinguish historical residue terminology from pigment usage, and assess a particular sample for a proposed use.","scope":{"in":["Evidence establishing which material sense of caput mortuum applies","Historical or commercial provenance of a named sample","Measured constituents, phases, impurities and physical form","Colour and application properties when the material is a pigment","Sample-specific handling constraints and fitness for a stated use"],"out":["Alchemy as a symbolic or philosophical system","The distillation, sublimation or calcination process as an independently modelled activity","Finished paint formulations and artworks containing the material","Iron oxides generally, beyond their evidenced relationship to a sample","Colour names or digital colour coordinates without a material referent"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Require contextual evidence: a residue named in a historical operation and an artist's pigment carrying the same name are not automatically compositionally equivalent.","For pigment usage, compare both composition and measured colour; a reddish-brown appearance alone does not establish caput mortuum identity.","Distinguish a pigment powder from a binder-containing paint sold under the same colour name.","Treat related names such as colcothar or Venetian red as candidate relationships requiring evidence, rather than universal interchangeable identities.","Do not infer human-derived material from the literal meaning of the name or an association with mummy brown."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"name-and-material-identity","name":"Name and material identity","description":"Establish what caput mortuum denotes in the registry and in each material record.","layers":[{"id":"attested-meaning","name":"Attested meaning","description":"Separate documentary meanings before assigning properties.","findings":[{"id":"residue-sense","name":"Historical residue sense","description":"Historical chemistry used the term for material remaining after volatile substances escaped; this denotes a relationship to an operation rather than a fixed composition. [Historical dictionary entry](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_International_Encyclop%C3%A6dia/Caput_Mortuum).","questions":[{"text":"Does the registry's originating record identify a residue, a pigment or another sense?","id":"residue-sense-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which passage or label establishes the intended meaning for this sample?","id":"residue-sense-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"pigment-name-boundary","name":"Pigment name boundary","description":"Test the pigment interpretation without collapsing related colour names.","findings":[{"id":"documented-pigment-sense","name":"Documented pigment sense","description":"CAMEO describes caput mortuum as a historical reddish-brown iron-oxide pigment name and lists several related terms; a sample's equivalence to any of those terms still requires evidence. [CAMEO material entry](https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Caput_mortuum).","questions":[{"text":"What evidence supports interpreting this record as a pigment material?","id":"documented-pigment-sense-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Does a proposed synonym identify the same material, a related pigment or merely a similar shade?","id":"documented-pigment-sense-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"origin-and-composition","name":"Origin and composition","description":"Connect a named material to its preparation history and analytical identity.","layers":[{"id":"formation-history","name":"Formation history","description":"Record the operations and feedstocks actually supported by evidence.","findings":[{"id":"documented-preparation","name":"Documented preparation","description":"Keep reported preparation routes distinct from routes inferred from the name or appearance.","questions":[{"text":"Which feedstock and operation produced this particular residue or pigment?","id":"documented-preparation-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Was it subsequently washed, heated, ground or blended, and where is that recorded?","id":"documented-preparation-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"analytical-identity","name":"Analytical identity","description":"Identify constituents and phases independently of the caput mortuum label.","findings":[{"id":"composition-before-identifiers","name":"Composition before identifiers","description":"Assign chemical identifiers only to evidenced constituents; retain uncertainty for uncharacterised mixtures.","questions":[{"text":"Which constituents and mineral phases have been measured, by what methods and with what detection limits?","id":"composition-before-identifiers-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Does each proposed identifier describe a constituent, the whole material or a formulated product?","id":"composition-before-identifiers-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"pigment-appearance-and-performance","name":"Pigment appearance and performance","description":"Assess optical and working properties when pigment identity is supported.","layers":[{"id":"shade-comparison","name":"Shade comparison","description":"Compare colour under controlled viewing and preparation conditions.","findings":[{"id":"reproducible-colour","name":"Reproducible colour","description":"Record shade as an observation of a prepared sample rather than an invariant implied by its name.","questions":[{"text":"What colour coordinates and spectral measurements describe the powder and a standardised drawdown?","id":"reproducible-colour-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which reference sample and tolerance define an acceptable caput mortuum shade for the intended application?","id":"reproducible-colour-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"binder-and-aging-response","name":"Binder and aging response","description":"Establish application performance through sample-specific evidence.","findings":[{"id":"tested-application-behaviour","name":"Tested application behaviour","description":"Record dispersion, opacity and colour retention in the intended medium; do not transfer results between undocumented formulations.","questions":[{"text":"How do particle size and preparation affect dispersion and opacity in the chosen binder?","id":"tested-application-behaviour-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What testing supports acceptable colour retention under the intended light, heat and environmental exposure?","id":"tested-application-behaviour-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"sample-condition-and-use-decisions","name":"Sample condition and use decisions","description":"Translate the condition and evidence for a specific material into bounded decisions.","layers":[{"id":"sample-integrity","name":"Sample integrity","description":"Check whether the material tested represents the material to be used.","findings":[{"id":"representative-material","name":"Representative material","description":"Record heterogeneity, contamination and changes since collection or manufacture before relying on an analysis.","questions":[{"text":"Does the sample contain visibly distinct fractions, added binder or contamination?","id":"representative-material-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which sampling and storage records support treating the analysis as representative of the current material?","id":"representative-material-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"evidence-bounded-use","name":"Evidence-bounded use","description":"Associate proposed handling and applications with evidence for the actual sample or grade.","findings":[{"id":"use-specific-assessment","name":"Use-specific assessment","description":"Keep handling requirements, supplier classifications and application acceptance tied to the documented composition and physical form.","questions":[{"text":"Which current sample or product documentation establishes applicable handling constraints for the proposed operation?","id":"use-specific-assessment-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"What unresolved identity, impurity or performance evidence prevents accepting this material for the stated use?","id":"use-specific-assessment-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-confidence-notes","name":"Check these first","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these check these first hold for the sense of caput mortuum this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-confidence-notes-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of caput mortuum this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of caput mortuum this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of caput mortuum this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of caput mortuum this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Identify the pigment by name, colour and its iron oxide composition, citing sources.","Distinguish the pigment sense from the alchemical sense of residue.","Report its use in historical artworks from conservation records."],"mustNot":["Present the name as proof of a particular composition without analysis.","Use pigment dust without dust control where people breathe it.","Misattribute an artwork based on pigment alone."],"requiresHuman":["Conservation treatment of an artwork using it."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Pigment analysis supports attributions that affect artists' legacies and value."],"affectedParties":["Artists and conservators","Owners of artworks"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns the pigment; owners of artworks answer for works that use it.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q161179","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.caput-mortuum","Wikidata: Q421089 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q421089)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Attested material sense: historical process residue | pigment material | unresolved","Identity evidence: Links to registry origin, historical passage, collection record, supplier documentation or analysis","Constituent and phase composition: Constituent mass fractions in wt%; phase identifications with method and uncertainty","Chemical and pigment identifiers: Documented CAS, EC or Colour Index identifiers, each attached to its actual constituent or product","Physical form and condition: powder | agglomerated powder | coherent residue | dispersion; moisture and contamination observations","Particle-size distribution: µm; distribution basis, dispersion method and agglomeration state","Measured pigment colour: CIELAB coordinates with illuminant, observer, binder, substrate and film preparation","Process ancestry: Documented feedstock, operation, date and treatment history; unknown where unavailable","Use assessment: untested | supported for specified use | unsuitable for specified use | evidence insufficient"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Muted violet-brown or purplish iron oxide powder or paint.","Analysis confirms hematite as the principal component."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Disambiguate a caput mortuum label using its documentary and material context.","Compare a sample with a documented pigment reference using composition and controlled colour measurements.","Plan analyses that distinguish an iron-oxide pigment from another process residue.","Evaluate pigment dispersion and appearance in a specified binder through documented trials.","Determine whether evidence supports handling or application under specified conditions.","Preserve unresolved identity claims without merging chemically different samples."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Fine dust can irritate the lungs when handled dry.","Name confusion between suppliers leads to mismatched colours in restoration."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["The European Union REACH Regulation applies to pigment substances manufactured, imported or supplied within its scope, including iron-oxide pigments.","The European Union Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation governs hazard classification and labeling of pigment substances and mixtures supplied within its scope."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Caput mortuum is encountered in artists' pigments, historical paintings and conservation studies as a muted violet-brown iron-oxide colorant.","In alchemical texts, the same name can refer to residual material after an operation, so its meaning must be established from the historical context.","A historical residue cannot be assumed to have the composition or suitability of a modern pigment sold under this name."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q421089: caput mortuum","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q421089","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Caput mortuum","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caput_mortuum","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Does the registry's originating entry intend the historical chemical residue, the pigment or both?","Does an existing world model already own the intended concept, requiring this entry to link to it?","Which historically and commercially documented compositions fall under this name, and which related pigment names are equivalent only in particular contexts?","Which analytical identifiers, impurity limits and handling classifications can be established for the actual material or grade?","Which reference specimens and test conditions should anchor colour, dispersion and durability comparisons?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q421089/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q421089/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T08:22:23Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:30+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}